West thin on real threats to Lakers

First, the Lakers have the rest of the regular season. "Fulfilling the obligation of an 82-game schedule" is how Phil Jackson so indolently describes it.

Second, there will be the Western Conference playoffs, a fact confirmed by several NBA front-office sources. We could be breaking news with that statement considering no one has written a word about the Lakers facing anyone in the postseason but Boston or Cleveland.
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Lakers' Bynum declares himself completely healthy

Los Angeles Lakerscenter Andrew Bynum says he is completely healthy eight months after suffering a left knee injury that ended his 2007-08 season.

"Everything's ready to go. I'm 100 percent," Bynum told the Los Angeles Times. "I think I'm the only guy who wants to see the season start tomorrow. I can't wait to play with the fellows. I haven't done that in so long. I'm excited."
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Phil Jackson To Take Questions At University of ND

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson will take questions as part of an informal "community conversation" set up by the University of North Dakota.
Jackson, who is a UND alumnus, is returning to the Grand Forks campus later this month to accept an honorary doctoral degree.
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Bryant sinks 19 as U.S. beats Russia in defensive battle

Kobe Byrant scored 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter to lead the U.S. Olympic team to an 89-68 victory over Russia on Sunday.
"They had some gaps there and I just took advantage of them. The ball found me and I was able to make them pay," Bryant said.
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Krzyzewski Sets the Tone Early

With Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and other stars in town to begin the final phase of their journey toward what they hope will be a gold medal, U.S. national team coach Mike Krzyzewski wanted to set the mood. So he put on some Marvin Gaye.
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Fisher: Trust will lead Kobe to MVP award

If the MVP trophy ends up in Kobe Bryant's hands for the first time in his career next week, then it might have had something to do with the superstar guard's increased trust in his teammates this season.
Bryant has struck the proper chord between shooting and passing this season, and that's made his teammates better players, according to Lakers guard Derek Fisher.
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Lakers wrap up top seed in West

Pau Gasol had 22 points, leading MVP candidate Kobe Bryant added 20, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the short-handed Sacramento Kings 124-101 Tuesday night to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West and home-court advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
The Celtics earned the edge in the Eastern Conference and would have home-court if they made the NBA Finals.
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Kobe will take race for MVP to the wire

It's amazing to think that Bryant was being acknowledged as the game's best player for almost half of that time.

With O'Neal gone and Bryant free to show all he could do, the Los Angeles Lakers sank in the standings. Kobe could reduce his peers to slack-jawed wonder, as he did two seasons ago when he scored 81 points in a game, and Allen Iverson, then in Philadelphia, said he called everyone he knew to watch this.
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Lakers knock off Wizards in OT

It had the makings of a Disney movie.

With his Washington Wizards trailing his hometown Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant — the player he grew up idolizing — rookie Nick Young got the call and had the game of his life. He hit a fadeaway over Bryant, knocked down crucial shots with defenders running at him, scored a career high and had family and friends going wild in the stands.
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Bryant has often played well when ill

Kobe Bryant has played through injury or illness in much more dramatic circumstances such as the playoffs, so it's silly to think his latest ailment would force him to miss a game.

As expected, Bryant was given the day off Saturday to recuperate from the upper respiratory infection that he played through Friday night. Coach Phil Jackson said it is not as serious as first thought, and Bryant is listed as probable for tonight's game against Memphis.
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Focus is back on Bryant

For the first time since the 2004-05 season, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant isn't scoring at least 30 points a game.

He heads into a nationally televised game at 3:30 today against the Cavaliers averaging 27.7 points a game.
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Lakers coach Jackson wary of next three opponents

The barnstormers have arrived at the soft portion of their nine-game trip, starting with today's game against the last-place Miami Heat.

Then it's on to Charlotte to face the Bobcats on Monday, and to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Wednesday, two more struggling teams.
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Recap: Seattle vs. LA Lakers

Pau Gasol had 22 points to lead seven Los Angeles Lakers in double figures, as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to eight games with a 111-91 dismantling of the Seattle SuperSonics at KeyArena.

Kobe Bryant tallied 21 points and 10 assists before he was ejected with four minutes to go in the third quarter for arguing. Lamar Odom scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which led from start to finish. Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar added 13 and 12 points, respectively, off the bench.
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Bulls’ poor play sparks fans’ chants for Bryant

As the second half of the Bulls’ 101-71 loss to the Toronto Raptors wore on, the United Center crowd expressed its displeasure with everything from boos to cheering the Raptors to chanting the name of disgruntled Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

If this defeat doesn’t prove to be the low point of Bulls’ season, it could be a very long year for the franchise.
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Bryant effectively shows what could have been to the Bulls

This would have been Kobe Bryant's homecoming, had the rumors that peaked a few weeks ago become reality and the Los Angeles Lakers had dealt Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls for a package of somebodies, maybes and whatever else might make the dollars balance, if not the exchange of talent.

Every Los Angeles Lakers game has plots and subplots galore, but Sunday's plot twist was almost stranger than truth.
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Recap: LA Lakers vs. Orlando

You can Lakers vs Orlando Magic at the staples center at a discount price. Rashard Lewis scored 18 points and Dwight Howard had 17 points and eight rebounds to help the Orlando Magic pick up a rare win against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, 104-97.

Hedo Turkoglu ended with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, who ended a 10-game slide in Los Angeles, beating the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time on the road since March 17, 1996. Keyon Dooling also had 14 points for Orlando, which improved to 10-2 on the road this season, winning for the fifth time in six games overall.
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Back in the day, star players would typically stay in one city for their entire careers. When you thought of an NBA team, you couldn’t help but think of their superstar. L.A. was Magic Johnson’s town, while Boston had Larry Bird. And His Airness, Michael Jordan, ran things in Chicago.
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Ingram: Shaq To LA? Not Likely . . .

Late last week HOOPSWORLD's Eric Pincus got wind of a trade scenario that the Los Angeles Lakers were rumored to be working on with the Miami Heat - a trade scenario that would bring Shaquille O'Neal back to the land of purple and gold. In his piece, Eric compared it to one infamous season finale to the television show Dallas, in which Bobby Ewing magically came back from the dead and the entire previous season was written off as a dream. Patrick Duffy, the actor who portrayed Bobby Ewing, just couldn't stay away, and frankly the show had suffered greatly for his absence. An agreement was reached, a plot was written, and fans were so overjoyed to have the character back that they forgave the entire dream sequence scenario and happily welcomed their favorite Ewing back into the fold.
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Jackson gets a dig in on Bryant

Ever since Kobe Bryant made his initial demand to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers in May, coach Phil Jackson has attempted to ease the friction between Kobe Bryant and the front office.

But if Jackson's comments after Saturday's practice are any indication -- he questioned Kobe Bryant's commitment -- the coach is growing increasingly frustrated and may be joining those who believe it's time to accommodate the trade request.
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What Kobe Bryant Has Coming to Him

It's going to be a long year in Los Angeles.

The Kobe Bryant trade spectacle hasn't resolved itself, but suffice it to say that things don't look promising. If the Los Angeles Lakers trade Kobe Bryant, they're unlikely to get good value for him. If they keep him—and if they don't swing a miracle deal for Kevin Garnett—KB24 will be the moodiest malcontent in the Southland.
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NBA INSIDER: Kobe will be a highlight

As the fury of what promises to be a dizzying free-agency period was unleashed last night, I wanted to pose this question to the Los Angeles Lakers' brass: It's 12:01 a.m. Do you know where Kobe Bryant is?

Kobe Bryant will not be a free agent until 2009, but his unsettled status with the Los Angeles Lakers headlines what could be a two- or three-week period of major movement in the NBA.
Speculation about where Chauncey Billups and Rashard Lewis will go pales in comparison with the Kobe soap opera, which will factor into any and all deals consummated during the next few weeks.
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Sonics can't stop Kobe

LOS ANGELES -- It seems that nothing at this point of his career can stop a motivated Kobe Bryant. And a shorthanded Sonics team, despite another inspired game, was no match down the stretch.

Kobe Bryant dropped an even 50 on Sunday night at the Staples Center as the playoff-charging Los Angeles Lakers held off the Sonics for a 109-98 win in front of 18,997 fans who have become accustomed to such performances.
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Just Saying, Is All...Learning to Lose with Kobe Bryant

There’s nothing quite like spring in Los Angeles.

It’s the sense of hope, is what it is. The palm trees are in bloom. The haze is in retreat. And Kobe Bryant, Bubba:

Kobe Bryant’s getting ready to do his postseason thing.
You could hear it on Sunday, when KB’s 50 points against the Sonics helped the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth—a collective twitter, a faithful buzz. Angelenos know an A-List bandwagon when they see one, after all, and so it is that the Staples Center has in the last week become a whole heap more, well, fashionable.
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Lakers need to get some help for Bryant, now

THIS HAD BETTER be a productive offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers. No way can they have Smush Parker, Luke Walton and Kwame Brown as starters next year. Well, not if they plan to be any good, anyway.

As has been proven time and time again, one star — even with a Hall of Fame coach on the bench — isn't going to get it done. It's not enough to just have Kobe Bryant. It's not enough to trade away his partner in dominance, Shaquille O'Neal, and replace him with just Lamar Odom.
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NBA Insider: To satisfy Kobe, Lakers face daunting offseason task

The words came with a certainty and a tone of defiance and were punctuated by a molten 1,000-mile stare so intense that it pierced the future. But that didn't matter.

The Los Angeles Lakers already had decided they had one untouchable even before Kobe Bryant, the one, declared his patience had run out in the wake of another first-round elimination. They already had been plotting the potential of a summer blockbuster trade, making Kobe Bryant's televised call to arms at the post-series news conference in Phoenix more a personal venting and, if anything actual, a hindrance.
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Kobe Bryant News L.A. Lakers

There’s nothing quite like spring in Los Angeles.

It’s the sense of hope, is what it is. The palm trees are in bloom. The haze is in retreat. And Kobe Bryant, Bubba:

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Lakers need to get some help for Bryant, now

THIS HAD BETTER be a productive offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers. No way can they have Smush Parker, Luke Walton and Kwame Brown as starters next year. Well, not if they plan to be any good, anyway.

As has been proven time and time again, one star — even with a Hall of Fame coach on the bench — isn't going to get it done. It's not enough to just have Kobe Bryant. It's not enough to trade away his partner in dominance, Shaquille O'Neal, and replace him with just Lamar Odom.
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NBA Insider: To satisfy Kobe, Lakers face daunting offseason task

The words came with a certainty and a tone of defiance and were punctuated by a molten 1,000-mile stare so intense that it pierced the future. But that didn't matter.

The Los Angeles Lakers already had decided they had one untouchable even before Kobe Bryant, the one, declared his patience had run out in the wake of another first-round elimination. They already had been plotting the potential of a summer blockbuster trade, making Kobe Bryant's televised call to arms at the post-series news conference in Phoenix more a personal venting and, if anything actual, a hindrance.
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Florida, Kansas Join Top Seeds in NCAA's Round of 16

The men's national college basketball tournament heads into its second week without any teams seeded 10th or worse for the first time in 12 years.

The University of Florida and the University of Kansas both won second-round games yesterday, putting all four of the tournament's No. 1 seeds into the final 16 for the third straight year. The lowest-seeded school left in the regional semifinals is the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, which is the seventh seed in the Midwest Regional.
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NCAA TOURNAMENT REPORT: Higher seeds take care of business

There will be at least two 1-2 matchups in the regional finals, the first time that has happened since 2002.

In the West, top-seeded Kansas will face No. 2 UCLA for a berth in the Final Four, while in the South, No. 1 Ohio State will play Memphis.

There could be a third 1-2 meeting as No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Georgetown both play Friday night in the East Regional semifinals.
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Florida, Georgetown Advance to NCAA's Final Four

Dont miss all the action. Get your Pac 10 Tournament Tickets and Final Four Tickets today.

The University of Florida Gators and Georgetown University won their regional finals to fill out the Final Four of the national men's college basketball tournament.
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NCAA Final Four Player Preview

Despite the fact that just four teams remain in the 2007 NCAA tournament, Final Four tickets for Dayton Ohio still remain very hot there are is a wealth of interesting players remaining. In fact, there are players to fit every size and description that you could possibly want. Let’s say you wanted a big guy to block shots, score easy baskets, grab some rebounds, and intimidate everyone. How about Ohio State C Greg Oden or Georgetown C Roy Hibbert? OK, girth isn’t your thing. You like speedy guys who can whip from one end of the court to the other and hit a long-range shot when they attempt them. You’d probably go for UCLA G Darren Collison or Florida G Taurean Green. On the third hand, if you’d prefer a multi-talented player, you can look at Georgetown F Jeff Green or Florida F Corey Brewer. We have players to fit all sizes, so you won’t go away unhappy – your satisfaction is completely guaranteed.
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Final Four Fits All Ages ; Champs of Many Eras Clash in Atlanta

The NCAA Tournament background singers have been excused, with 60 swan songs. What's remaining now is a Final Four of tradition both old and new.

A Final Four with 15 NCAA titles to their combined acclaim, for every age group.
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Stanford Men Prepare For Pac-10 Tournament

The CARDINALsS OPEN PAC-10 TOURNAMENT WITH USC Trojans ON THURSDAY: The sixth-seeded Stanford men's basketball team (18-11, 10-8 Pac-10) head south to Los Angeles for the Pac-10 Touranment where they will open with USC on Thursday, March 8 at 6:20 pm. in the Staples Center. FOX Sports Net will televise the game live. The game can also be heard on the radio on KNTS (1220 AM) with Bob Murphy and John Platz providing play-by-play and color commentary respectively. Stanford is coming off of a split with the Arizona schools last week to end regular season play.
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Instate rivals

Instate foes collide in the quarterfinal round of the Pac-10 Tournament tonight, as the seventh-seeded Washington Huskies do battle with the second-seeded and 11th-ranked Washington State Cougars. The victor of this bout moves on to face either Stanford or USC in the semifinals on Friday.
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Beavers exit on cue

LOS ANGELES — One of the most frustrating seasons for the Oregon State men’s basketball team came to an end Wednesday night.

Senior center Kyle Jeffers quickly left the locker room without talking and junior forward Sasa Cuic hinted he may not come back next season.
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An Annual Rite Brace Yourself for the Tourney

March 11, 2007— Be warned, America; something is about to take over the country — something so powerful it will bring offices to a standstill for the next 24 days. The hoopla surrounding the NCAA basketball tournament starts today, on somewhat of a national holiday: Selection Sunday.

So be careful; no one is immune from the madness that is about to ensue.
Bigger Than the Super Bowl?
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Early games the most intriguing in March Madness

I know they say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but in my opinion, March Madness is a close second. Every year we get to see the best teams and players go head-to-head, and the games are always close and always exciting. As exciting as the Final Four games are, the first few rounds are usually the most intriguing. And the main reason why I love these early-round games is simple: upsets.
So what I'm going to do is give you my opinion on teams that are ripe for being upset when the first round begins tomorrow. Every single year at least one 12 seed beats a 5 seed, so when filling out your bracket, be sure to plan for this. Scouting the 12 versus 5 matchups, in the Midwest region I think Butler is a lock to fend off #12, but the other three match-ups are up in the air.
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Kobe helps Lakers take lead

When the LA Lakers lost to the New York Knicks several weeks ago, they bemoaned the fact that they were missing Kobe Bryant, who was serving a one-game suspension for elbowing an opponent.

When the two teams met again Tuesday night at Staples Center, Kobe Bryant was indeed the difference.
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MVP Bryant leads West over East

Las Vegas - Whether it's the regular season, the playoffs or simply a game of playground pick-up, it doesn't take Kobe Bryant long to get the competitive juices flowing.

The 28-year-old Los Angeles Lakers had 31 points, six steals, six assists and collected the MVP award on Sunday, leading the Western Conference to a 153-132 win over the East in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
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DALLAS -- The man who never passed up an open shot turning into the man who never passes up an open teammate?

It will never last, the Kobe Bryant doubters said.

Wait until those teammates start missing their shots.

Wait until Kobe Bryant starts missing his name among the league's scoring leaders.
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Upgraded Warriors no match for Kobe

LOS ANGELES — It's true that you never get another chance to make a first impression. But if your second impression rocks enough peoples' socks off, no one's going to quibble too much about that substandard debut.
Of course, it's better if you don't try that on a night where Kobe Bryant is also in the building.
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Great Scott: LA's Bryant whines his way to a loss

OKLAHOMA CITY — In last year’s NBA Finals, Miami star Dwyane Wade got a phantom call and hit a pair of free throws to save the Heat from a possible sweep by the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs led 77-68 going into the final quarter before Wade repeatedly went to the line. The late call — when Wade wasn’t even touched in the final seconds — gave Miami a 98-96 win to cut the series deficit to 2-1.
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Kobe hears the Bynum comparisons

Kobe Bryant hears the comparisons between himself and Andrew Bynum, and he shakes his head.

Yes, they were both boy wonders in the NBA, peach-faced kids straight out of high school playing with grizzled veterans. But there, says Kobe Bryant, the comparison ends.
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Mature Bryant puts team first

AUBURN HILLS -- The NBA came into this season touting a new generation of stars -- Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

Former golden boys such as Vince Carter, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant were knocked off the marquee -- labeled by Sports Illustrated as the Lost Generation.
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LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers send Kobe Bryant and the Lakers home losers

Kobe Bryant put on a typical Kobe all star performance Sunday afternoon to lead the Lakers and all players in scoring with 36, but it wasn't enough.

The Lakers held LeBron James to 18 points, while back up guard Sasha Pavlovic led the Cavs with 21 points. The Cavs led at halftime 52 to 41 with a solid team effort in the first half. The Lakers came back to take the lead after 3 led by Kobe Bryant who prior to halftime had no free throw attempts, Kobe ended the game going 11 for 11 from the line. While Kobe became more aggressive in the 2nd half the Lakers failed to maintain the same intensiity they had in the 3rd quarter in the 4th, and were out scored by 12 in the final quarter, to fall to the Cavs 99 to 90.
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Kobe watching his team grow up

When in Los Angeles check out the Beverly Hills Dental Spa When you think of relaxation, chances are dental drills and Novocain needles don't come to mind. You can get a Dental Massage as well as many different Dental Spa Amenities including while in the chair, patients can cover their eyes with a cool mask, turn on an electronic back massager and choose from a variety of neck pillows to rest on. .
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Kobe Bryant’s Asian Tour

Looking for a Tarzana Dentist? Dr Mike Smith is the leading Tarzana Procelian Veneers specialist with being a Tarzana Cosmetic Dentist as well as having the number one Beverly Hills Dental Spa Even though Kobe Bryant wasn’t able to play in the world championships because of a knee injury, he’s currently busy with his Asian tour this month and they’ve got his schedule jammed with appearances.
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The Lakers Game Review

According to the latest game review, The Los Angeles Lakers needs many shooters to flank Kobe Bryant and is trying to lure of Vladimir Radmanovic away from his current team. Persuading Radmanovic proves to be tough and the Los Angeles Lakers finally conceded that they'll have to rebuild piece by piece and keep looking for trade gambles.
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Kobe Predicted MVP

He can't top last season, but that doesn't mean he won't win MVP if the Los Angeles Los Angeles Lakerskers can get into the playoffs again. Phil Jackson won't let them get worse this season, and I believe Kobe won't either. All he really has to do is be a better teammate. It was all about him last season, and if teams weren't gunning for him then, they have now had an entire offseason to prepare for him X amount of times this season.
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Lakers Look to 'New' Kobe Bryant

Shooting star assuming role of team playmaker, last season's 81-point binge still haunting Raptors

Over dinner, long before the NBA season began, a former head coach and scout were discussing the year to come.

"People are talking about LeBron (James) and Dwyane Wade?" he said. "What about Kobe? He's the best player in the league."
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Kobe changes game, goes from selfish to team player

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant doesn't remember exactly when it happened, but he knows it did happen. There was a moment when these marquee head-to-head matchups ceased to excite him like they used to. When he began to understand that the game was bigger than him. When he finally discovered that his teammates could do more than simply pass him the ball.
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